Clean Slate
by Hana-chan
Summary: Tombstones mark the place of two fallen pilots, yet in a private school nearby two of the newest students look surprisingly familiar. . . Yaoi 5+2+5


TITLE: Clean Slate Prologue and Chapter 1/?  
AUTHOR: Hana-chan gohana_chan@hotmail.com  
CATEGORY: Somewhat AU (altered timeline), yaoi, angst, occasional lemon  
PAIRINGS: none yet  
RATINGS: Varies.   
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything Gundam Wing. The story, and any characters that do not belong to GW belong to me.  
ARCHIVE: FanFiction.net http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=81835  
FEEDBACK: Please!   
  
~emphasis~+++ scene changes  
  
Clean Slate  
Prologue  
  
The evening breeze ruffled the wildflowers, creating a scented wave that moved gently towards the three figures standing silhouetted against the rosy pink glow of the sky. One of the young men, a child still in years, approached the two stone markers that appeared strangely appropriate in their placement on the hills among the blooms. The young man knelt slowly, head bent, and placed a glistening white rose before each granite headstone, tears streaking silently down his cheeks.  
  
"My dear friends," he said quietly, gently touching each smooth stone. "You will be missed."  
  
Standing slowly, he wiped his eyes with the heel of his hand, looking much younger than his fifteen years. Turning to his two companions he saw that one watched him with sorrow filled eyes, while the other stared blankly at the gray-green stones, fists clenched, arms trembling.   
  
Looking back once more to the graceful monuments, the young man blinked his eyes again. "You will be missed," he repeated before the three young men, aged by war and tragedy, made their way back down the hill leaving naught but two stone monuments in a field of wildflowers to remind the world of the ultimate sacrifice made by two pilots taken before their time.   
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
~emphasis~+++ scene changes  
  
Clean Slate   
Chapter 1  
  
The boy stood, slightly awestruck, before the majestic stone building that was to be his new school. The smile that usually graced his heart-shaped face, slipped slightly as he watched the students and faculty bustle around, registering for classes and moving into their dorm rooms. He saw parents and children caught in farewell embraces and wished again that his parents could have been here with him today instead of with his younger sister, but then she was the one with the broken leg, while he was fully capable of registering in his dream school.   
  
He just wished he didn't feel so alone.  
  
Shrugging, the boy thought about how hard he'd worked to get into this school, and hoped that no one would give him a hard time because he was here on scholarship and not because his parents were wealthy. OZ paid its soldiers well, but it was nothing compared to what the nobility had.   
  
Taking a deep breath he made his way towards the main building, backpack slung over his shoulders. He wondered briefly where the registration desk was as he stood on his toes trying to peer over people in the crowd. Turning in a circle he backed up, only to step on someone's foot.  
  
"I'm sorry," he apologized, turning to see the unintentional victim of his feet. It was a boy about his age and height with shoulder length black hair pushed behind his ears, and nice looking steel-framed glasses.   
  
"No need to apologize," the boy responded. "It is somewhat crowded in here,"  
  
The boy snickered in response. "Somewhat," he agreed looking at the people jammed in the foyer like sardines. "Hi, I'm Tom. Tom Maxfield," he said holding out his right hand.  
  
"I am Chen LiLong," responded the boy as they shook hands. "You may call me Li however."  
  
"You're new here too, aren't you?" Tom asked, eyeing the black backpack.   
  
Li nodded. "I was just trying to find the registration desk. I believe it is over there," he said pointing to the left.   
  
Standing on his toes again, Tom peered through the crowd. "I think you're right," he said. "First booth on the left and straight on 'till morning."[1] The Chinese youth looked at him with a quizzical expression on his face, and but Tom only gave him a crooked grin. He was used to no one understanding his obscure references to historical media. Actually, it was fun when they didn't get it.  
  
Weaving through the crowd, the two eventually found their way to the lineup by the desk. "So, are you from around here? I live fairly close myself, that's why I only brought a backpack - my parents will be around later with more stuff. I mean, with the uniforms, you don't really need too many normal clothes, not for a while, eh? And any books I need will be supplied by the school, right? So all I have is a bit of essential stuff for getting me through the first week." He paused for breath, and blushed a bit at the wide-eyed expression on the other boy's face. "Sorry," he said. "I tend to be the Energizer Bunny of talkers. What about you?"  
  
"Actually, I tend to talk rather less than that," he said, and Tom blinked. Then he noticed the barest hint of a smile and grinned. he thought.  
  
"So?" he prompted.  
  
"So what?" responded the black haired boy.  
  
"Sew Buttons!" he exclaimed. "So, what about you?"  
  
"What about me?"  
  
"Arrrgh," he groaned, rolling his eyes. "Of all the people I had to step on it had to be the guy who has a sense of humor more obscure than mine. Couldn't've stepped on some nice chatty person. Noooo. I had to go and step on the guy who plays constant word games. No nice, easy conversations for Maxfield. No way. Not allowed. Must be someone up there laughing his ass off right now. 'Look at that Tom kid, out talked by someone who never says more than fifteen words at a time' Sheesh."  
  
"The same for me as well," said Li.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I said 'the same for me as well'. My parents will arrive on Saturday as well."  
  
"Oh, okay,"  
  
"Sixteen,"  
  
"Sixteen what?"  
  
"Words."  
  
Tom puzzled that out a minute, then his eyes widened as he went over their conversation in his head. He groaned. "You're just getting me back for stepping on you aren't you? Or is it for the pink bunny thing? Or the obscure references? Or for talking practically non-stop? Or because you just like to torment people?"  
  
The Chinese boy rolled his eyes and sighed. Tom smirked. he thought.  
  
"Truce?" asked Li.  
  
"Truce," agreed Tom. "Besides, it's our turn," he added, nodding his head towards the now vacant desk.  
  
Tom walked up to the sign with an 'M' on it, while Li went to the one with the 'C'.  
  
"Registration for Maxfield, Thomas," he said to one of the women behind the counter who immediately began typing the name into her computer, while another dug through files to find the other necessary items such as keys, in the drawers behind.  
  
After signing all of the necessary paperwork, Tom moved away from the counter towards the building's exit. "I'm glad to be out of there," he exclaimed, brushing his chestnut bangs out of his eyes in an exaggerated gesture of relief.  
  
"Big tree at ten o'clock?" asked Li quietly, coming up behind him.  
  
Looking around quickly, Tom spotted the appropriate tree and nodded. he thought in curiosity as thy walked over to the harlequin maple. I wonder if he likes war sims as well?   
  
Settling under the huge tree, Li pulled out a campus map. "I'm in Cormac Hall," he said. "You?"  
  
"Sorry," the other boy responded. "Not really into livestock."  
  
The Chinese boy made a face. "That was baaaad."  
  
Tom stared, blankly at the boy next to him, then buried his face in his hands. After a moment he looked up and raised both of his hands above his head. "I surrender," he said in resignation.  
  
Li simply smirked at him. "Well?"  
  
"Unwell actually, because I hate watching what I say," he responded. "Can we take a rest for a while and talk like normal people?"  
  
Nodding, the black haired boy raised and eyebrow. "So, where is your room?"  
  
Shuffling through the papers in his hands, Tom found the appropriate one. "I'm in, um," he mumbled as he searched for the name. "Hey I'm in Cormac Hall too! Room 502."  
  
The other boy smiled. "Hn. I'm in 505. Same floor,"  
  
Tom grinned brightly. "Lets go meet out roommates then!" he exclaimed. "I don't think we have a lot of time to settle in before Welcoming so, come on," The chestnut haired boy leapt to his feet practically dancing in anticipation. The teen still seated on the ground rolled his eyes but climbed to his feet with a smile and the two walked together toward the dorm that they'd be staying in.   
  
* * *  
  
Li watched the energetic boy chatter brightly about various historical movies as they crossed the quad to their dorm. He didn't normally enjoy the company of such outgoing people, but something about Tom was different than the other people he'd known. It may have been the wordplay they'd engaged in - most people couldn't seem to follow his somewhat obscure sense of humor, or it could have been the fact that Tom had understood the military reference he'd inadvertently used earlier, or his sheer friendliness; whatever it was, Li found himself agreeing to meet him in the quad in fifteen minutes so that they could eat dinner together.  
  
After seeing the boy vanish into his empty room, Li continued down a few more doors to his own room. The door was locked, so he pulled out his key and let himself in. He wasn't sure of what he expected to see, but a boy with wavy blond hair making out with a girl on one of the beds certainly wasn't it. Stopping in shock, he blinked stupidly at them, blush infusing his face. he asked himself, totally at a loss. He didn't want to interrupt them, but he didn't want to just stand here either. he thought, placing his backpack on the floor and escaping the room.   
  
Once he relocked the door, he leaned against the wall, eyes closed. His dream school, the one he'd worked so hard to get into, and his roommate was. . . He cut off the thought, blushing hotly again. he reassured himself.   
  
Repressing a shudder, he opened his eyes and decided to explore the dorm floor since he obviously wasn't going to be able to settle into his room right now, and he wasn't supposed to meet Tom for a while.   
  
Walking through the hallway, he nodded politely to the few people he saw who were unpacking their things, memorizing the layout of the building, and the names and faces that went with each room. The floor he was on was rectangular and held eighteen double rooms, and in the center there was a lounge area with a few couches and chairs, plus some study booths. He also noted the position of the elevator and two fire escapes. When he realized that he was cataloguing everything with military precision, his mouth quirked up in a brief smile. He was glad that his older brothers weren't here - they always teased him about his obsession with strategy games and his military mindset, because he was steadfast in his refusal to join OZ as they had. They just didn't understand that he didn't want to be a soldier, that there was no need for ~him~ to fight.   
  
Shaking his head he checked his watch and decided to go down to the quad and wait. Making his way outside, he looked around the grassy yard. According to the map the other three buildings that made up the other sides of the square would be the second boy's dorm, and the two girls dorms. The pathways and scattered trees made area look very beautiful. He would enjoy practicing his forms out here in the mornings.   
  
Settling down with his back to one of the trees, he watched the front door, waiting for Tom to make an appearance. He wasn't sure if he should expect him to be early, on time, or late. He seemed to be very laidback, and scatterbrained, but he also picked up on military references and could keep up with that bizarre wordplay they'd engaged in. All in all, Tom was an interesting study in contrasts.   
  
"Li, there you are. Are you ready?" called an exuberant voice. Looking up, Li saw Tom bounding down the stairs, metre long braid bouncing behind him like a banner. He stared in openmouthed shock as the other boy came up to him.  
  
"What's up?" Tom asked. "Cat got your tongue."  
  
Blinking, he realized his mouth was hanging open, and closed it with a blush. "In a manner of speaking," he responded to the query. "Your hair. . ."  
  
"What this?" he replied, holding the braid up. "I had it under my backpack before. It's a hell of a lot easier to manage there than pulling it out from under the straps all the time. It makes my sister jealous because I have better hair than her." He grinned and winked. "My pride and joy really. So, what do you want to do now?"  
  
Snapping himself out of his daze he berated himself for being caught so off guard by a rope of hair. Sure it looked fascinating trailing along behind him like that, and it shone with gold and red highlights in the sun, and it looked like it would be thicker than the wispy stuff he had for hair. He wondered what it felt like.   
  
Flushing slightly in embarrassment, Li stood quickly, hoping that Tom hadn't noticed. He couldn't believe that he was thinking about touching Tom's hair. It was ridiculous. It was unlike him.   
  
Dipping his head down he let his hair fall in a curtain around his face to hide his burning cheeks. "How about the cafeteria?" he asked quickly.  
  
"Sounds good to me," replied Tom.  
  
Li sighed in relief when Tom didn't mention the blush but groaned at the topic he chose instead. "So how's your roommate?"  
  
Wincing, he blushed again thinking about what his roommate had been doing. "I wouldn't really know," he temporized. "He was, uh, too busy to talk."   
  
"Too busy to talk? How anti-social. I don't even have one yet. I was really looking forward to having a roommate,"  
  
"You can have mine," Li muttered. He realized that he was likely being unfair to someone he hadn't really met yet, but first impressions were important, and the boy had definitely given him a bad one.  
  
Li saw Tom watching him and he quirked an eyebrow up in question.  
  
"What ~is~ wrong with your roommate?" he asked. "You said he was too busy to talk and now you're already trying to give him away. What'd he do?"  
  
Blushing again, Li shrugged. "More like ~who~ not what," he said under his breath. "He and his girlfriend were, busy. I decided not to bother them."  
  
Tom's eyes widened before he started to snicker. "You walked in on your roommate boinking his girlfriend?" he exclaimed.  
  
"They weren't ~actually~ having sex. . ."  
  
"But they probably would be if we went back now though, right?"  
  
Shrugging, Li searched desperately for a way to change the subject. "So, um, what do you like to do for fun?"  
  
Blinking in surprise, the other boy started laughing again. "That's your idea of changing the subject? What if I told you my idea of fun was sex? Where would that leave us?"  
  
Glaring at the laughing boy Li tried to decide whether he should continue talking to him, or just leave.   
  
"Hey, don't glare at me," protested the boy with the braid. "You walked into that one."  
  
Sighing, Li realized that Tom was right. He'd set himself up for that one. He was usually more observant than that - he wondered why he was so flustered. "Sorry," he said. "I guess I'm just a bit freaked out by my roommate."  
  
"Understandable," replied the boy beside him. "To actually answer the question though, I enjoy reading of all kinds, writing, war-sims and basketball. What about you?"  
  
Surprised, Li stopped walking and just stared at his new friend.   
  
"What's wrong? Did I grow an extra head or something? Something wrong with my hobbies?"  
  
"No, not at all," the Chinese boy replied quickly. "I just never expected to meet someone here with the same interests. I don't play sports though, I'm into Kung Fu."  
  
"Kung Fu? That's cool. What do you write? I write short stories."  
  
"Poetry," Li said with a grin. "I got a writing scholarship to attend this school."  
  
"Me too," exclaimed the brunette. "This is ~so~ cool! And here I thought that I'd be ridiculed for being on scholarship but instead I meet the only person here for exactly the same thing."  
  
Li smiled at the other boy's enthusiasm, privately agreeing with him about their luck. He'd also thought that he'd be the butt of jokes for his parent's lack of money. "So, what kind of war-sims do you like?"  
  
"I like all of them," was the cheerful response. "I used to be big into historical ones, knights and castles, y'know, but since the war started, I've taken more of an interest in modern warfare. You?"  
  
"Not more sheep?" asked Li with an exaggerated frown. Smiling slightly he said, "Medieval China had been my favorite period, but I also have an interest in MS warfare. The Gundams are especially intriguing, though I can't agree with their methods."  
  
"I know! I hate the fact that my dad might get killed by them if they ever took an interest in the little facility he works at."  
  
Blinking again in astonishment, Li shook his head. "I have family in Oz too - my two older brothers actually. They keep trying to get me to join up." He rolled his eyes, feeling exasperated.  
  
Tom's laughter rang out briefly. "Been there, done that," he said with a grin. "My dad keeps trying to get me to sign up too - thinks I'd be a good MS pilot or something."  
  
"You don't want to be a pilot?"  
  
"Not really. I love them in sims - the Gundams especially, are a great challenge to play as and against, but what reason is there for ~me~ to join? Besides, the grunts aren't allowed to do the strategic planning, and at fifteen that's all I'd be."  
  
"Exactly my reasoning," replied the Chinese boy with a smile. "No one's ever understood that. I have no reason to fight - even my martial arts, while practical, is more of discipline or meditation for me than a fighting technique. Why should I train to kill people when they've done nothing to me?"  
  
As the two boys entered the cafeteria, chatting amiably about war-sims and strategy, Li found himself smiling more and more often. For the first time in a while he thought that maybe, just maybe school wasn't going to be a trial for him any longer.  
  
TBC 


End file.
